'Not That Into You' offers real insights into singles scene

As the father of two unmarried twentysomething daughters, I only wish that this insightful, not-always romantic comedy had been released a few years ago so its comic examination of dating rituals and discussions about the nature of true love could have served as a catalyst for some solid dad-daughter chats.

First I loved "He's Just Not That Into You," because it echoed my personal sentiments that young women should never define themselves in terms of how they relate to men. I also loved it because it confronts the delusional way some women, if not many women, cling to the manufactured hope some guy will call them as he promised he would.

(I would constantly remind my daughters of the wisdom of Maya Angelou: When someone shows you who he really is, believe him.)

Then I hated "He's Just Not That Into You," because the story takes a twist suggesting that it's OK being delusional about noncommital guys, because you'll be the exception to the rule that they'll never call. That seemed to negate all the cautionary wisdom ladled out by Alex the bartender (Justin Long), who decides to take a gullible, openly desperate single woman named Gigi (Ginnifer Goodwin) under his protective male wing and help her decipher obvious signals of rejection.

Based on the best-seller by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo, "He's Just Not That Into You" isn't exactly a behavioral guide, even though it sounds like one in parts. It's not exactly an ensemble movie, either, for the Gigi/Alex duo clearly anchors the story for the rest of the couples, each of whom experiences love in completely different ways.

Alex's good friend, successful real estate agent Conor (Kevin Connolly), has been trying hard to strike up real sparks with the hot Anna (Scarlett Johansson). She's lukewarm to him, but develops a real crush on a blue-eyed dreamboat named Ben (Bradley Cooper), He's remodeling a premium house with his wife, another drop-dead gorgeous woman named Janine (Jennifer Connelly), but that doesn't even seem like a speed bump for Anna.

Meanwhile, Janine, a rigid, brittle wife who looks upon smoking as an unforgivable sin, works at an office with Gigi and Beth (Jennifer Aniston), whose sister's wedding fires her up so much that she gives an ultimatum to her seven-year live-in lover Neil (Ben Affleck) to tie the knot or hit the road. He hits the water to live on his yacht.

Finally, we have Mary (Drew Barrymore) who works as an ad rep for a gay magazine where she gets plenty of male support for her failed efforts at romance on the Internet.

All the characters are handsome, beautiful and financially well-off, so clearly "He's Just Not That Into You" has no interest in pretending to represent social and economic realities. It's something like Aniston's old sitcom "Friends" with an expanded cast, merged with a soap opera.

As for my daughters, they'll probably get a buzz from this film, despite the erratic direction by Ken "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" Kwapis.

In the end, the story reveals one simple way to spot the guy who truly loves you: He's the one who does the dishes. Without being asked.